Dental model articulator

ABSTRACT

An articulator for casts of a dental model correlates the casts with the condition to be redintegrated throughout a full range occlusal and masticatory registration. The articulator includes an hinged two part flexible element, each of which parts may be a mirror image of the other, or a one piece hinged flexible element having like opposing integrally connected parts. Each opposed end of either type of element supports a sphere to be positioned within a respective one of a cavity formed in each cast or in a respective mounting attached to each cast. Each of the spheres includes at least a partially circumferential groove for distributing by capillary action or wicking an adhesive intermediate the sphere and the engaged cavity to secure the articulator to the casts after alignment of the paired casts. Simulating and tracing the paths of natural occlusal and masticatory registration is effected by pivotal movement about the hinge line and flexing of the articulator.

RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

The present application is directed to an improvement over the articulators described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,787 issued May 10, 1983 entitled "DENTAL MODEL ARTICULATOR" and in copending applications entitled "DENTAL MODEL ARTICULATOR", Ser. No 486,897, filed April 20, 1983, "DENTAL ARTICULATOR WITH A FLAT PLATE MOUNTING", Ser. No. 475,228 filed March 14, 1983, "DENTAL ARTICULATOR WITH BALL MOUNTING", Ser. No. 475,135 filed March 14, 1983 and "DENTAL ARTICULATOR WITH A TAB MOUNTING", Ser. No. 477,076 filed March 21, 1984, all of which are assigned to the present assignee and describe inventions by the present inventor.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is related to dental articulators for use with dental model casts.

BACKGROUND ART

Correlators or articulators for use with casts of a dental model to develop prosthetic dentures or denture elements have been used for a number of years. These articulators range from a very simple device affording only fixed pivotal movement between a pair of casts to highly sophisticated and mechanically complex devices which are capable of simulating the full range of occlusal and masticatory registration unique to any patient. The relatively simple devices are generally inadequate to provide sufficiently accurately registered prosthetic restoration to avoid extensive vists with a dentist to obtain adjustments thereof while the very complex devices are time consuming to operate and require extensive training to use properly. In either situation, the costs incurred to the patient are substantial. Moreover, none of the prior art articulators permit disengagement of the casts from registration with one another without extensive realignment upon reengagement. Thus, a technician is usually forced to perform his work while the casts are mounted on the articulator. Such an environment is difficult to work in with speed and accuracy.

Each of the following listed U.S. patents are directed to dental articulators which incorporate lockable ball and socket elements to afford pivotal movement and extensible members to afford translational movement: U.S. Pat. Nos. 175,046, 530,524, 537,812, 565,326, 981,430, 1,736,006, 1,841,728, 2,571,280, 2,600,899, 2,608,762, 2,621,407, 2,765,533, 4,169,314, 4,196,518 and Belgian Patent No. 572,850.

An articulator which provides structure to effect a simple hinged movement without provision of mechanical structure for defining translatory movement or multi-axis pivotal movement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,430,177. Simulation of the full range of occlusal and masticatory registration is obtained by resiliently flexing the articulator. Such resiliency is afforded by the coil spring like configuration of a wire element defining each leg of two pairs of legs. For a well trained and experienced technician, the freedom of movement afforded by this articulator is sufficient to permit the formation and adjustments of most prosthetic dentures. Accurate use of the device is predicated upon the formation within each cast of a dental model elongated sockets for receiving, capturing and retaining each of the four wire legs. The casts usually vary in overall physical size, depending upon the size of the patient's teeth to be simulated and the size and configuration of the base formed. To employ the articulator described in this patent, uniformity of spacing between the pairs of sockets in each pair of casts is of paramount importance. The demands imposed by such uniform spacing during formation of the casts is time consuming and requires an experienced technician. No adjustment capability exists within the articulator itself to accommodate differences in spacing, as would be expected as the size of pairs of casts vary in proportion to the physical size of the patient's jaws and the usually uniquely sized bases therefor. Other U.S. Patents describing articulators include U.S. Pat. Nos. 824,096, 3,429,045 and 3,466,750.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an inexpensive throw away articulator for dental models. The articulator includes a pair of brackets of flexible resilient material interconnected by snap fit hinges. Alternatively, the pair of brackets may be formed as a single unit interconnected by a flexible membrane serving as a hinge to provide pivotal movement between the brackets. A sphere is disposed at opposed ends of each pair of brackets. One of these spheres is locatable in a cavity formed in a mounting attached to each cast or in a cavity formed in the rear surface of each cast. Upon alignment of the casts with one another and development of the respective cavities, each sphere is adhesively attached within its respective cavity and the casts become hingedly attached to one another through the pair of brackets. To ensure flow of the adhesive adjacent a substantial part of the common surface area between each sphere and its cavity, a partially circumferential groove is formed in each sphere. The groove aids in distributing the adhesive by promoting flow through capillary and wicking action. Simulating the full range of natural occlusal and masticatory registration is effected by a combination of pivotal movement about the hinge line and flexing of the respective brackets. Use of the snap fit hinge embodiment permits rapid disassembly and reassembly without the need of realignment to effect proper registration between the casts; accordingly, a technician can readily perform his work on each of the casts or dental restoration in comfort by placing the cast to be worked upon on a work surface or in a holder.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a ball and socket joint for an articulator which encourages flow of an adhesive into the joint and adhere the ball to the socket.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for adhesively securing an articulator to a pair of dental model casts.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for ensuring formation of a substantial adhesively adhered surface area between an articulator and dental model casts joined by the articulator.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an articulator having a ball and socket joint for securing each one of a pair of dental model casts in a fixed angular relationship by drawing an adhesive into the joint through capillary action effected by a groove in the joint.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an articulator with ball and socket joints having a groove disposed in each ball.

A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a grooved ball of a ball and socket joint joining an articulator with a dental model by promoting flow of an adhesive into the groove and therefrom into the joint.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a simple method for ensuring adhesive locking of a ball and socket joint disposed intermediate an articulator and an attached dental model cast.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention may be described with greater specificity and clarity with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the articulator supporting a pair of casts of a dental model;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along lines 2--2, as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along lines 3--3, as shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 illustrates the interconnected elements of the articulator.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In the practice of prosthetic dentistry, one very important technical problem is the shaping and fitting of the restoration occlusal surfaces to register, meet and operatively cooperate with opposed surfaces in conformity with the established habits, idiosyncrasies and tooth facet inclinations of the user. The many factors peculiar to the individual have heretofore made proper operative correlation of the restoration with the associated dental elements almost invariably a matter susceptible of satisfactory resolution only through repetitious adjustments and modifications had in the dental chair after installation of the restoration. This occurs despite the use of fixed, even though adjustable, mechanically simulated axes of articulation, planes and arcs of occlusion, lines, planes and axes of symmetry and the like which fail to provide the full orbital range necessary for reconstitution of the natural dental relationships determinable from the traces and indices upon and established through use of the original dentures. To facilitate attainment of the desired operative registration between restorations and their associated dental elements and thereby largely obviate the necessity for adjustments and corrections in the dental chair, the present invention provides a device for laboratory use wherein the relationships to be redintegrated can be fully and accurately portrayed and operatively duplicated as a check mounting for the restoration.

The present invention is a device which hingedly, yieldably and separably associates for registration a pair of casts of a dental model in spaced opposition and which provides relative manipulation of the casts throughout a full spherical orbit wherein every phase and condition of dental occlusive attitude may be exemplified.

In practice, the casts of both the upper and lower natural dentures along with the conditions thereof requiring restoration or correction are made by well known techniques. The casts are secured to the present invention to register in simulation of the natural relationships they portray when in spaced substantially parallel relationship at one limit of the range of relative movement, which position is determinable by the structure of the invention. Through the novel features, structure and characteristics of the invention correlating the restoration or correction and the facet disposition and inclination thereof with the operative range and pattern of movement of the original dentures becomes possible.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a complete dental model 10 having a pair of mating dental model casts 12 and 14 simulative of the original dentures and the condition requiring restoration or correction. An articulator 16 is attached to the casts to maintain them positionally simulative of the natural relationships portrayed when substantially in parallel relationship at one limit of the range of relative movement. A pair of interconnecting elements or brackets 18 and 20 are pivotally attached to one another and are of resilient flexible material sufficient to accommodate relative movement about all axis and within all planes between the casts in simulation of the operative range and pattern of the original dentures.

Referring jointly to FIGS. 1 and 2, further details of articulator 16 will be described. Each of brackets 18 and 20 includes a base member (22, 24), each of which base members supports a ball or sphere (26, 28). Each sphere may extend directly from its respective bracket or one or both of the spheres may be supported upon a straight or angled stalk (30, 32) extending from its respective bracket. Brackets 18 and 20 are pivotally joined to one another by pivot means 34, 36; preferably, the pivot means is of the snap fit type.

To mount articulator 16, mounting means 38 and 40 are attached to the rear faces of the respective casts. Each mounting means includes a semi-spherical or partially spherical depression disposed at the respective extremity. In example, mounting means 38 includes depression 42 and mounting means 40 includes depression 44. Which depressions are sized to mate with spheres 26, 28. Spheres 26 and 28 are located within their respective depressions 42, 44 upon angular adjustment of the respective brackets to obtain the requisite spatial relationship therebetween; nominally, the brackets define an interior obtuse angle. To maintain the casts in the predetermined fixed spatial relationship to one another at one limit of the range of relative movement, an adhesive is applied intermediate the spheres and their respective depressions to fixedly secure the respective bracket in fixed angular orientation with respect to the mounting means. Pivotal movement of the casts is effected by relative angular displacement between the joined brackets about the respective pivot means or hinge line. Translational movement in any plane and rotational movement about any axis of the casts with respect to one another is accommodated by the flexibility of brackets 16 and 18.

With the above general understanding of the basic function and structure of the invention, it may be beneficial to review and analyze certain nuances of the invention which render it of great practical benefit in the field of dental correction and restoration.

Each of mounting means 38 and 40 may be generally triangular in one plane to provide an apex (46, 48) within which a depression (42, 44) is formed. Base 50 of mounting means 38 may include a ridge or tab 52 for mechanical engagement with a slot 54 formed in the rear surface of cast 12. Base 56 of mounting means 40 includes tab 58 for engagement with slot 60 of cast 14. The resulting mechanical engagement, in combination with mastic or adhesive disposed therebetween ridigly secures each mounting means to its respective cast.

During initial alignment and attachment of the brackets to the mounting means, maintenance of the casts in a predetermined relationship is critical. To simplify the manipulation during attachment, retaining fingers 62 extend from apex 46. These fingers are of resilient material and, in the quiescent state, cant toward one another to provide snap retention for sphere 26 inserted within depression 42. Similar fingers extend from apex 48 of mounting means 40 to engage sphere 28. With the use of such fingers, articulator 16 is retained in place during positioning of casts 12 and 14 and the need for manually retaining the articulator in place during such orientation of the casts is obviated. Upon achievement of the orientation of the casts, an adhesive, such as any one of the commercially available fast setting cyanoacrylate or anerobic adhesives, may be employed to secure each sphere within its respective depression.

To facilitate and promote flow of adhesive intermediate the common surfaces of each sphere and its receiving depression, a groove (64, 66) extending partially circumferentially about each sphere (26, 28) is formed. For best results the groove in each sphere extends sufficiently about the sphere to have an end exposed irrespective of the angular orientation of the partially sphere enclosing mounting means. Upon application of a drop of the adhesive upon the sphere, the adhesive will flow along the edge of the depression and, by capillary or wicking action, will flow intermediate the adjacent opposing surfaces of the sphere and depression. The extent of flow is a function of the spacing therebetween provided and the viscosity of the adhesive. Additionally, the adhesive will flow into the groove from both exposed ends. The groove promotes flow of adhesive along its full covered length due to capillary action. Moreover, flow of adhesive lateral of the groove intermediate the opposing surface of the depression and sphere will also occur due to capillary action and wicking. The resulting bond formed upon curing of the adhesive extends essentially circumferentially about the opening of the depression and essentially along an arc into the depression, which arc may subtend an angle of approximately 180 degrees. Furthermore, some or all of the opposing spherical surface area common to both the depression and the sphere may become bonded to one another. The strength of the resulting bond has been found by testing to be greater than the fracture strength of the articulator and mounting means when they are made of plastic.

Alternatively, a mounting may be defined by a cylindrical cavity, such as formed by a conventional drill bit, or a partial spherical cavity, such as is formed by a ball burr, developed in rear faces 68, 70 of casts 12, 14, respectively. Spheres 26 and 28 are located within their respective cavities upon angular adjustment about the pivot axis of the respective brackets to obtain the requisite spatial relationship therebetween. To maintain the casts in the predetermined fixed spatial relationship to one another at one limit of the range of relative movement, an adhesive is applied intermediate the spheres and their respective cavities to fixedly secure the respective bracket in fixed angular orientation with respect to the casts. By having the spheres grooved, as described above, the adhesive bond formed is essentially commensurate with the opposed surface areas of the sphere and cavity for reasons stated above.

Articulator 16 is formed of a pair of mirror image brackets, each of which includes a base member (22, 24) and a pair of arms (72, 74 and 76, 78). Each base member supports a sphere (26, 28), which sphere may be, but is not necessarily, located laterally offset of the longitudinal axis of its respective base member and off center along the longitudinal axis such that upon mating of the brackets, a line drawn through the center of the spheres is orthogonal to a line representative of the pivot axis of the articulator. As illustrated, the lateral offset and/or displacement from the base member of each sphere may be effected by a supporting stalk (30, 32). Such stalk also has the further benefit of increasing the distance between the respective base member and the rear face of the attached cast to prevent interference therebetween on attachment and use of the articulator.

The arms of each bracket may be formed to include complementary elements to establish the pivot means. In example, one arm may include a slot 80 terminating in a circular bearing surface while the other arm may include a pin 82 extending therefrom for retentative engagement with a corresponding slot and bearing surface. The pin, molded or otherwise formed upon fabrication of each of brackets may be a simple shaft extending therefrom and terminated by an end plate 84. The space intermediate the arm and end plate is generally equivalent to the width of the arm to be disposed therebetween into slotted retention with the shaft. Alternatively, each arm may include an aperture penetrably engageable by ancillary pin means or the like. Webs 86 or other strengthening means may be employed at the interconnection between the base member and the extending arms to provide the requisite strength, yet minimize the mass and size of the articulator.

Preferably, the pivot means is of the snap fit type such that disengagement and reengagement of the brackets (and the supported casts) may be readily effected. Upon reengagement, the casts will be in registration with one another as no adjustments or parameters affecting registration are disturbed by disengagement/reengagement of the pivot means.

In a variant of articulator 16, the pivot means interconnecting the brackets is a flexible resilient membrane formed as part of the joined arms of the brackets. As noted above, each of the brackets are of flexible resilient material to permit manipulation of the casts through every phase and condition of dental occlusive attitude. And, the integrally formed joining membranes, being of substantially reduced thickness than the interconnected arms, serve in the nature of a hinge to permit pivotal movement of the brackets and attached casts relative to one another.

In operation, the mounted casts may be relatively approached, separated, traversed, protruded, retracted, inclined and rotated through every possible condition and position of occlusal and masticatory registration by simple manipulation to flex the brackets of the articulator. The resiliently yieldable brackets accommodate all deviation from the initial position of the casts to the extent necessary to fully manifest the operative variations of position inherent in the natural dentures.

After fabrication of a restoration and fitting of same to the appropriate cast, the casts may be manipulated to trace the normal occlusal registration of the dentures as determined by the facet inclinations of the natural teeth and the operative correlation of the restoration with the condition to be redintegrated may be checked for correction and precise fitting. The restoration may be removed from the respective cast with or without physical severance of the casts from one another. By severing the brackets from one another at the pivot means, the casts readily become physically separated from one another and work on the restoration may become more facile. On completion of the work, the casts are rejoined to one another by rejoining the brackets at the pivot means. The severance capability, without an accompanying obligation or requirement to realign or even check the alignment of the casts, is of immense importance to the dental technician's efficiency. After severance, each cast may be worked on physically independent of the other and positioned upon or retained by a work surface which surface can support the cast at an orientation most favorable for the type and nature of the work to be done. And, a check of the accuracy of the work can be made in a matter of seconds by simply snapping the elements of the pivot means together to engage the two brackets with one another and then simulate and trace the paths of natural and masticatory registration.

While the principles of the invention have now been made clear in an illustrative embodiment, there will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, elements, materials, and components, used in the practice of the invention which are particularly adapted for specific environments and operating requirements without departing from those principles. 

I claim:
 1. An articulator for correlating the casts of a dental model, each of the casts including a mounting, said articulator comprising in combination:(a) a pair of resiliently flexible brackets, each said bracket terminating at one end; (b) means for pivoting the one end of one bracket with the one end of the other bracket about a common pivot axis; and (c) means for interconnecting each of the casts with another end of one bracket of said pair of brackets, said interconnecting means including a ball and socket joint and a groove formed within a surface of said ball and socket joint and wherein one of the ball and socket of said ball and socket joint is defined by the mounting and wherein the other of the ball and socket of said ball and socket joint is formed by said bracket; whereby, the angular relationship between each cast and the interconnected one of said pair of brackets may be fixed after registration of the casts relative to one another by adjusting the angular relationship between each mounting and its engaged one of said pair of brackets and by adjusting the angular relationship about the pivot axis between the pivotally connected ends of said pair of brackets.
 2. The articulator as set forth in claim 1 including fixing means disposed intermediate the ball and socket of each said ball and socket joint for fixing the angular relationship therebetween.
 3. The articulator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said groove extends partially circumferentially about said ball.
 4. The articulator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said groove is developed in the surface of said ball of said ball and socket joint attendant each bracket of said pair of brackets.
 5. The articulator as set forth in claim 4 wherein said ball of each said ball and socket joint extends from each bracket of said pair of brackets and wherein both ends of said groove in said ball terminate in proximity to the respective bracket.
 6. The articulator as set forth in claim 5 wherein said groove extends partially circumferentially about said ball.
 7. A method for mounting casts of a dental model to afford correlation of the casts throughout a full range of occlusal and masticatory registration, said method comprising the steps of:(a) pivoting along a pivot axis one end of a first bracket with a hingedly connected one end of a second bracket; (b) interconnecting the other end of one of the brackets through a pivot mechanism providing pivotal freedom between each cast and its connected bracket about any axis of a set of intersecting orthogonal axis; (c) positioning the casts relative to one another at one end of the range of occlusal and masticatory registration to be redintegrated by adjusting the angular relationship about any or all pivot axis between each cast and its engaged bracket and by adjusting the angular relationship about the pivot axis between the hingedly connected ends of the brackets; and (d) immobilizing the pivot mechanism between each cast and its engaged bracket with an adhesive on completion of said positioning step to maintain permanently fixed the angular relationship between each cast and its respective bracket, said step of immobilizing including the step of flowing the adhesive into a groove extending into the pivot mechanism.
 8. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein each pivot mechanism includes one element of a ball and socket joint and wherein another element of the ball and socket joint is disposed at the other end of each bracket and wherein said step of interconnecting comprises the steps of interconnecting one and the other elements to form a ball and socket joint between each cast and its attached bracket and wherein said step of immobilizing comprises the step of applying the adhesive to each ball and socket joint.
 9. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the groove is disposed in the ball of the ball and socket joint and wherein said step of flowing includes the step of introducing the adhesive into the groove of the ball to induce flow of adhesive between opposed surfaces of the ball and socket joint.
 10. A method for redintegrating the casts of a dental model throughout a full range of occlusal and masticatory registration to develop a dental prosthetic device mounted on the casts, said method comprising the steps of:(a) forming a mounting at each cast; (b) pivoting along a pivot axis one end of a first bracket with a hingedly connected one end of a second bracket; (c) interconnecting each mounting with the other end of one of the brackets through a ball and socket joint; (d) positioning the casts relative to one another at one end of the range of occlusal and masticatory registration to be redintegrated by adjusting the angular relationship between each mounting and its engaged bracket and adjusting the angular relationship about the pivot axis between the hingedly connected ends of the brackets; (e) immobilizing the ball and socket joint between connected ones of the mounting and the brackets with an adhesive to maintain permanently the fixed angular relationship established between connected ones of the mountings and brackets on completion of said step of positioning, said step of immobilizing including the step of flowing the adhesive into a groove extending into the ball and socket joint; (f) flexing the brackets to translate and rotate the casts relative to one another to determine adjustments necessary to the model teeth or prosthetic devices or restorations formed thereon; (g) alternatively pivoting the casts about the pivot axis of the brackets through an obtuse angle or disengaging the brackets one from the other to permit unrestricted access to the casts for making the adjustments determined in said flexing step; (h) alternatively repivoting the casts into registration with one another or reengaging the brackets with one another depending upon whether said pivoting or disengaging step, respectively, were undertaken; and (i) repeating said steps of flexing, alternatively pivoting or disengaging and alternatively repivoting or reengaging until the model teeth, prosthetic device or restoration is developed.
 11. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the ball of each ball and socket joint is grooved and wherein said step of flowing comprises the step of introducing the adhesive into the groove of each ball to induce flow of the adhesive between opposed surfaces of each ball and socket joint. 